The two companies have already agreed to establish a joint stock company dedicated to electric mobility. It may open as soon as 2022, but the first car will not go on sale until at least 2025. The temporary name for the JSC is as plain as “New Company”.
Honda and Sony intend to combine their technological assets to “usher in a new era of mobility and mobility services”. The end result is envisioned as an electric car packed with cutting-edge tech and linked to modern digital services.
New Company will be tasked with designing, developing and selling EVs under an existing or new brand. It will have no production capacities of its own, relying on Honda instead. The Japanese automaker will also share its platform development experience and after-sales service know-hows with Sony.
In turn, the technological giant plans to come up with a brand-new digital platform for EVs. It is also possible that the company will pursue developing semi-autonomous driving solutions using its IT and communications expertise, although self-driving was not specifically mentioned in the press release.
A few years ago, Sony unexpectedly unveiled a liftback concept named Vision-S, and followed up with an SUV called Vision-S 02 in early 2022. Despite continued interest these premieres seem to arouse, the company itself says it has no interest in becoming an automotive brand.